Love is a Many Splintered Thing

Two year-old Amanda delivers her blue note to her great-grandfather,Papaw number one  Then she scribbles on another and hands it to her great-grandmother, Mamaw number one.

"Amanda's going to be a secretary when she grows up," says Aunt Pam, graciously accepting her note.

When four-year-old Jacob enters the family room, he decides he wants to write, too.  Amanda is surprised when he jerks the pen and paper from her hands.  Aunt Pam stops him and returns the writing materials to her niece.

"I'm angry," Jacob whines.  Then he hides behind the chair and cries, "I'm sad."  Jacob is inconsolable.  "Aunt Pam made me very sad!"

Amanda continues writing unconcerned.  She pulls off a stack of papers from the notepad and plops them into Aunt Pam's lap.

"Jacob, here's some paper for you.  Amanda wants to share," Aunt Pam offers.

"No," he pouts.  "I'm still sad." 

After a short time, Jacob scoots out from behind the chair and decides to write, too.  Aunt Pam gives him a pencil and a stack of note paper.

He hands a scribbled note to his grandfather, Papaw George, who says, "Look at this.  Jacob writes in the same language as Amanda.  What does this say, Jacob?"

"I love Papaw number 1," explains Jacob, and he hands it to Great-grandpa.

"I love Papaw George," he writes and hands it to his Grandpa.

"I love Mamaw number 1," he writes, and hands it to Great-grandma.

"Who else do you love?" asks Aunt Pam.

Jacob thinks a minute.  Then he declares, "I love Mamaw Charlene.  You give this one to her, Papaw George, okay?"

Papaw George nods yes.

Aunt Pam asks again, "Who else do you love, Jacob?"

Jacob scribbles a note and hands it to Aunt Pam.

"What does it say, Jacob?"

Jacob hesitates and puts the pen up to his mouth, "I don't know."

"Jacob, what does it say?" asks Papaw George.

"Oh, I know," Jacob remembers!

"Papaw George loves Aunt Pam." 

At one time Jacob had so many grandparents that he assigned them numbers.